Occluding form for positioning teeth in making artificial dentures



E. G. KESLING OCCLUDING FORM FOR POSITIONING TEETH IN MAKING ARTIFICIAL 'DENTURES Filed Dec. 20, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES ATTORNEY WITNESSES Decl 4. 1,518,075 E. G. KESLING v OCCLUDING FORM FOti POSITIONING TEETH IN MAKI NG QRTIFICIAIJ DENTURES 'Filed Dec. 20, 1919 ZShee-ts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR' ATTO R N EY Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

ELMER G. KESLING, or BYLOOMFIELD, inrsso'onr.

OCCLUDING FORM FOR POSITIONING TEETH IN 'MAKING ARTIFICIAL 'DEN'TURES.

Application filed December 20, 1919. Serial No. 346,211.

To all whom it may eo'rwc'm:

Be it known that I, ELMER G. KESLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomfield, in the county of Stoddard and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Occluding Form for Positioning Teeth in Making Artificial Dentures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to occluding form for positioning teeth in making artificial dentures, and its object is to provide a means and procedure whereby the articulating of artificial teeth upon wax base-plates in the manufacture of artificial dentures is greatly facilitated.

In accordance with the invention, a more on less flexible form is provided in which the individual teeth may be mounted in articulated relation, so that by its temporary use the correct and scientific occlusion of the artificial teeth is produced entirely separate from and independent of the dental articulator customarily employed. The articulation of the teeth upon the case in the articulator is effected by simply placing a tooth-laden occluding form between the wax base-plates, adjusting the same to the pecularities of the case and securely waxing the necks of the teeth to the wax baselates, after which the occluding form may e removed, thereby affecting simultaneous articulation of all the teeth in the case. This has the advantage of avoiding the customary procedure wherein the occlusion and articulation of the artificial teeth were accomplished by Waxing up each tooth separately. This made the work very difficult and arduous and required much skill and fine art on the part of the operator.

The invention Will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features ofthe invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the form embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the form loaded with artificial teeth representing both upper and lower sets. j

Figure 3 is a cross section of the unloaded form.

Figure 4 is a cross section of a form with two matching teeth, one upper and one lower, therein. 7

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a dental articulator of known construction with a loaded form therein.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the form curved or twisted laterally with respect to the occlusalplane.

Figure 7 is'a side elevation of the form distortedvertically, the normal position of the'form and teeth being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of an articulator with the teeth waxed to the base plate and with the form still in position.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the form removed. c Fig. 10 is a front view of the bite plates associated.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a U-shaped piece 1 of flexible or elastic construction, with receptacles 2 therein on opposite faces. While not necessarily conconfined to. any particular material or mode of construction, the U-shaped piece 1, which is termed a form, may be formed of soft rubber' with the cavitiesv or receptacles 2 molded therein, being designed to receive the occlusal ends of respective artificial teeth 3. The cavities 2 are of such depth and are suitably shaped to temporarily hold the artificial teeth 3 in place, both by adhesion and mechanical retention. The walls of the receptacles envelop the artificial teeth over the surfaces exposed in the finished artificial denture and also extend over the lingual aspect of. the teeth sufiiciently to embrace shoulders 4 formed on all lain artificial teeth, the cavities 2 having ips 5 to enclose such shoulders.

The molded cavities or receptacles 2 are so placed, in the form in relation to each other, as to effect a correct arrangement and the occlusion of the teeth when seated therein.

At the front of the form, there is provided a recess 6 preferably, although not necessarily, of conical form, with its apex approaching the point occupied by the mesioincisal angles of the upper central incisors.

In Figure 5, there is shown a dental articulator 7 which may be of any construction suitab e for the urpose, different constructions ein obtainable in the market. In the articuator are secured models 8 and 9 obtained and arranged in roper relation by any suitable method, which need not be described since such features do not enter into the present invention. The median line and point to be occupied by themesio-incisal angles of the upper central incisor teeth are definitely located, as with an inc sor gu de pin 10 on which is mounted an ncisor guide 11, or any other way of definite measurement may be employed.

The bite plates at 12, 12 Fig. 10 are removed, and having decided what form of teeth to use, the correct mold is ascertained by fitting different loaded forms, of which fifty or more may be included 1n an outfit, until the one approaching nearest to fitting the case is found. It may be that some slight grinding of a few of the teeth will be neces sary. If this be so, necessary ones of the teeth may be easily removed from the form, ground and replaced until the form with all the teeth therein can be properly placed between the models on the articulator with the point of the incisor guide 11 inserted into the hole or recess 6 in the front of the form 1. After this, the wax base-plates may be placed upon the models 8 and 9, whereupon, as the articulator is again closed, the necks of the teeth may be embedded into and securely waxed to the base-plates and then the occluding form may be removed from the teeth, thus effecting a correct alinement and articulation of all the teeth at one time.

Practical experience have proven that a flexible or soft rubber construction for the form is to be preferred, but this does not preclude other constructions whereby the teeth may be placed and temporarily held while being adjusted.

The teeth are held into the form by the adhesion of the closely embracing rubber and also by the mechanical retention causedby the edges 5 overlapping the curved surfaces and the lingual shoulders 4 of the teeth.

lln'the preparation'of artificial dentures, it hasbeen found that no two sets are exactly alike. Those using the same size and mold of teeth will vary slightly from the typical, in the curvature of the arch, which is the U- shaped line occupied by the teeth around the arch, and in the curvature and twist of the occlusal plane, which is the line of contact between the upper and the lower teeth.

Since the form is elastic, it may, when loaded with teeth, be flexibly adjustedto bring the teeth into the position required for the case in hand. Due to the elasticity of the form, the teeth are always held in relative occlusion regardless of the distortion or adjustment of the form. It is necessary that the teeth be embraced or held by the form else Lemme they would not move in relative occlusal relation when the form is distorted. Then, after securing the teeth to the case, the elasticit of the form permits the ready removal of t e latter. lit also permits the form to return to its normal shape after removal, so

that it may be used again by the dentist.

What is claimed is 1. An occluding form for positioning teeth in making artificial dentures, comprising a body of inherently flexible material having teeth supporting surfaces with cavities therein for embracing the crowns of the teeth when positioned for perfect occlusion, and capable of being adjusted to the case in hand when loaded with teeth, said form being removable from the teeth without disturbing the position of the latter and adapted to return to its normal position after removal from the teeth.

2. An occluding form for positioning teeth for making artificial dentures, comprising a tooth supporting [Ll-shaped body of inherently elastic materlal shaped to embrace the crowns of the teeth when positioned for perfect occlusion and to hold the teeth comprising the set in proper relative position both by mechanical retention and by adhesion, said form being removable from the teeth while in a dental articulator without disturbing the teeth in their adjusted relation and adapted to return to its normal position after removal from the teeth.

3. An occluding form for positioning teeth in making artificial dentures comprising a rubber body inherently elastic said body having tooth supporting surfaces with cavities conforming to the crown portion of the teeth when positioned for perfect occlusion, said cavities holding the teeth comprising the set in proper relative position, said form capable of being adjusted to the case in hand when loaded with teeth and also adapted to return to its normal position after removal from the teeth, the removal of the form from the teeth being efiected without disturbing the adjustment of the teeth.

4. An occluding form for positioning teeth in making artificial dentures, comprising a flexible body portion having toothsupporting surfaces, with cavities or sockets therein conforming to the crown portions of the teeth when positioned for perfect occlusion, said cavities having lips onthe lingual portions to engage shoulders formed on the corresponding portions of artificial teeth.

5. An occluding form for positioning teeth in making artificial dentures, comprising a flexible [Ll-shaped body portion having tooth-supporting surfaces with cavities or sockets conforming to the active portions of the teeth when positioned for perfect occlusion, said cavities having lips on the lingual portions to engage shoulders formed on the ltltl llltl corresponding portions of artificial teeth and the-front of the form having a recessv situated to apdproximately correspond to the pofnt occupie by the mesio-incisal angles of the upper central incisors.

6. In the construction of artificial dentures, a form for holding the teeth in relative occlusion in a dental articulator, said form being made of soft rubber and adjusted both lateral] and vertically when loaded with teeth to a just the teeth to the required articulation, said form being removable from the teeth while in said articulator without disturbing the pos'tion of the teeth.

- In, testlmony, that I claim the foregoing 15 as my own, I have hereto afiixed-my s1gna ture in the presence of two witnesses.

. ELMER G. KESLING. Witnesses: v

WILEY VVALKER, VVHITT BENNETT. 

